Visuals - Proximity

Artist Statement

Due to events in my life I find that I am inexplicitly drawn to the concept of Divine Proportion though many may know it by another name: Golden Mean, Golden Proportion, Golden Section, Golden Ration or Sacred Cut (Hemenway, 11). This is a personal journey for me and I am expressing it through the work that I create for my classes, yes there is unity and continuity between them all. I have discovered on this path that one must look within to get answers; it will be revealed. Here I am, like so many before me contemplating the interconnectedness of life through simple patterns that are found throughout art, nature and science. It is my insatiable curiosity for knowledge and the desire to explore my art that leads me down this path.

As indicated by Priya Hemenway, art is an experience of balance, of the relationship of its parts to the whole. Perceiving it as anything else is missing its most fundamental component (Hemenway, 92). I am reminded of the principle of Gestalt where the whole is more than the sum of its parts (Dictionary). The whole cannot be perceived by a simple addition of isolated parts; each part is influenced by those around it. Contemplating and seeking knowledge is not enough. I need to make this an experience I can share with others. Then I will be convinced that the knowledge is mine to use. Yet, at the same time, we have accepted certain standards of aesthetics that are imposed upon us through Divine Proportion. It is the idea that Jung called the Collective Unconscious[1] whereby we tap into knowledge that is hereditary and inherent in our nature. I will explore this idea by examining Divine Proportion and the psychological principles of Gestalt; investigating the interconnectedness of patterns and shapes in our environment and how we perceive them.

I plan to show that it is a natural inherent phenomenon for us to group patterns in order to recognize structure in our universe. Patterns are the foundation for everything around us; the question is how do we perceive these patterns?

“Proximity” is the first in a series of compositions to be developed for my thesis. The Gestalt law of proximity states that objects or shapes that are close to one another appear to form groups. According to Thomas Detrie we make sense of the world by processing sensory data into meaning. The biological process is continuous and automatic. (Arizona State University)

The compositions are an exploration into grunge and retro, both styles that are unfamiliar to me. The idea is to use shapes, textures and colors to covey this principle of proximity and to push myself out of my comfort zone. My intention is to make this appealing to a younger generation, to show them that these ideas are universal and influence how we design even if you are not aware of them – they are intrinsic in our nature.

[1] The collective unconscious is a part of the psyche which can be negatively distinguished from a personal unconscious by the fact that it does not, like the latter, owe its existence to personal experience and consequently is not a personal acquisition. While the personal unconscious is made up essentially of contents which have, at one time, been conscious, but which have disappeared from consciousness through having been forgotten or repressed, the contents of the collective unconscious have never been in consciousness, and therefore have never been individually acquired, but owe their existence exclusively to heredity. Whereas the personal unconscious consists for the most part of complexes, the content of the collective unconscious is made up essentially of archetypes.(Jung)

Notes:

1 Jung, Carl. “The Archetypes And The Collective Unconscious.” Timestar.org (DU) .

Works Cited:

AU. “Gestalt” Dictionary.com (2008) .
Detrie, Thomas “Gestalt Principles and Dynamic Symmetry Nature's Design
Connections to Our Built World.” Arizona State University (2002) .
Hemenway, Priya. Divine Proportions: Phi In Art, Nature, and Science. 1st. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., 2005.
Jung, Carl. “The Archetypes And The Collective Unconscious.” Timestar.org (DU) .